The present invention relates to a surgical support system for supporting a patient during surgery and in particular to a support system that can be attached to and adjusted with respect to the operating table to provide torsion to the knee joint.
During knee surgeries and procedures it is often necessary to apply torsional forces to the knee in order to open or stress the lateral or medial sides of the joint. For example, during arthroscopic surgeries, controlled manipulation of the joint is necessary to allow viewing by an arthroscope and access to the compartments of the knee for repair. When the knee is extended, the lateral and medial gutters may be exposed. When the knee is flexed, the notch and groove of the femur may be exposed. When varus medial and valgus lateral stresses are applied to the knee, the meniscus may be exposed. The type and degree of stress placed on the knee varies during the course of surgery.
As standard practice, these forces are applied manually by grasping the foot or ankle and pushing or pulling the foot or ankle in a direction perpendicular to the normal extent of the leg and with the knee held fixed by a post by a hand placed aside the knee. This process is inconsistent, unstable, and usually requires a second person to apply the force.